Fail, and Die
by Glittercat33
Summary: When Dipper is poisoned, and given only 3 weeks to live, can he and Mabel find the lost cure? Horrible summary, sorry. Rated low T.
1. Intro

_Hi! I'm Glittercat33 and I've got a new story for you! This is my first Gravity Falls fanfic, so please be nice, and if Dipper and Mabel are a little OOC, I'm sorry. Some of the creatures are made up! Please do not tell me that there isn't a (fill in the blank) in the series, I know. This takes place in season 1. Enjoy!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls._**

* * *

Dipper's P.O.V.

The whole thing started when our parents sent us off to visit a small town called Gravity Falls, Oregon. We were going to visit our Grunkle Stan at his house, which was also a tourist trap. He called it the Mystery Shack, and the real mystery was why anyone came. Most of the attractions were fake, and the merchandise was way overpriced.

* * *

The bus ride was long and uneventful, and when we got there, my twin sister Mabel ran off the bus and gave our Grunkle Stan a big hug. Mabel and I have done everything together since we were just 1 year old. We celebrate every birthday together too; August 31. But this would be our first birthday away from home. Mabel always looked on the bright side of things, so she was excited for a birthday away from home. I, on the other hand, hated it. I wanted to have a nice relaxing summer, but I guess those plans are ruined.

* * *

The house was pretty big, but it was musty and smelled like something had died in there. Grunkle Stan led me to my bedroom that I would share with Mabel for the summer. It was worse than the rest of the house, but of course, Mabel loved it. She immediately started putting up posters for "Boyz Crazy", her favorite boy band.

* * *

~Time Jump~

There's something wrong with this town, I just know it. Call me crazy, but I found this old journal in the woods, and it said that this town was... weird. The weirdness was unlike any other place in the world. I wonder what the author meant by that, so far all I've seen in this town has been almost normal.

* * *

~The Next Day~

When I woke up, I slowly walked down the stairs, and when I made it to the kitchen, there was a note on the table.

* * *

 _Dipper,_

 _Grunkle Stan is taking me out to see the town. I didn't want to wake you, so I'll see you around noon._

 _XOXO Mabel_

* * *

Great. The only people I know in this creepy town are out doing whatever and left me here. I just I'll leave a note for when they come back.

* * *

 _Mabel and Grunkle Stan_

 _I left to take a walk in the forest. I'll be back at 12:30 at the latest. Make lunch._

 _Dipper_

* * *

I packed a small bag to bring with me on the walk, and left the Mystery Shack to go to the forest. The forest had beautiful green trees, a tan pathway, and deep purple flowers.

There was nothing weird about the forest at all. It was bursting with life, and the vibrant colors of a nearby butterfly caught my eye. As I got closer to the butterfly, it turned around and hissed at me, with teeth bared. I stumbled back in shock, running into a tree. I fell to the ground, pain shooting up my spine. I lay on the ground, desperately looking for something that could help me as the butterfly creature came closer. I quickly snapped a branch off a tree and whipped around, and the butterfly saw it as a chance to attack.

The butterfly lunged toward me, but I wasn't fast enough. The butterfly nipped the back of my neck, and the darkness overtook my vision.

* * *

Dipper's P.O.V.

"Is he awake?" Mabel whispered, trying to stay calm.

"Not yet. He'll be okay, don't worry. Now it's time for bed, you need to get some sleep, you've been sitting there for 7 hours." That must've been Grunkle Stan.

"No." Mabel said stubbornly. "I'm not leaving."

I tried to move, but nothing happened. It was like I couldn't move anything, but I could still hear voices. My body hurt too much, and the darkness enveloped me.

* * *

Mabel's P.O.V.

What if Dipper doesn't wake up? What will I do? Where will I be? Who will I be? Wake up, brother. We need you.

* * *

Dipper's P.O.V.

I feel horrible. I want to go home. I feel like I'm on fire, melting away. My entire body screams with pain, and I grimace. I feel someone's presence in the room, and I try hard not to worry them. My breathing picks up as the pain increases, homing in on a small spot on my neck. I sit up quickly, and my vision is blurry. As it focuses, I see a worried Mabel sitting on the edge of my bed.

"Dipper?" She asks. "Are you ok?"

"Not really. What happened?" I groan.

"You were bitten by something. I think it was poisonous." She explains.

At this point, I notice the huge cast around my neck. It's stiff and uncomfortable. The mirror across the room shows that Mabel has been decorating it. I'm sitting in a hospital bed, and the room is pure white.

"Mabel...?" I trail off.

"Dipper... they couldn't get the poison all out." Mabel whispers, on the verge of tears.

"What?" I realize what that means. If they couldn't get the poison out...

"It means that you're in trouble!" Mabel cries.

"Could you get the doctor?" I question.

Mabel nods, eyes wide. She gets up and leaves, but doesn't get far. The nurse is outside the door, having heard that I had woken up.

"Mr Pines?" She asks. I nod.

She grabs the clipboard at the end of my bed, and reads a little.

"You were poisoned by the Kalimantan butterfly, correct?" She wonders.

"Is that what it's called?" I say sarcastically.

"Yes." She shuffles more papers, then adds,"You can be cured, but are you up to it?"

"Yes! Yes he is! How do we save him?" Mabel jumps in.

"You will have to find unicorn hair." The nurse looks up at us.

"We can do that! That's easy. Let's go, no time to lose!" Mabel shouts.

"Wait, that's not all. You will also need to get a rare flower, found only in the depths of the caves off of the waterfall. The flowers are called Hissing Beauties. Be careful, they hiss before striking. One bite could kill you in seconds." She explains.

"I don't know, Mabel. Is it worth saving my life, while risking yours?" I try to reason with her, but it's no use.

"I'll do anything for you. I couldn't imagine life without my twin!" She elbowed me playfully.

"The third task is the hardest. There have been reports of a magic well, one that heals almost anything, when mixed correctly. The well is supposedly in the dark forest, guarded by an unspeakable horror. You need to bring back exactly 3 tablespoons of this magic water. No more, no less." The nurse stated.

"Why only 3 tablespoons?" Mabel asked. "And what unspeakable horror?"

"It will only work if you bring back that exact amount. More, and it would turn your brother into a ticking time bomb. Less, and he'll die from the poisoning." She explained. "And it's unspeakable horror, not speakable horror. So obviously I don't know. Nobody tells me anything."

"Got it. 3 tablespoons of magic well water, some hissing flowers, and unicorn hair. How hard could it be?" I say confidently.

"I'll do it." Mabel volunteered.

"Mabel, I'm coming too. I won't let you die trying to save me. Don't argue, either. I'm coming whether you like it or not." I add.

"You will start your quest tomorrow. Mr Pines has approximately 3 weeks before the poison kills him. Bring it all back before then, and he will most likely live. Fail, and die." The nurse states.

Mabel and I give each other reassuring smiles, and nod. Bring it on.

* * *

 _Wow, what did I just write? Looks like this is going in a entirely new direction than my plan... Oh well. I hope you enjoyed it, please R &R for me! Thanks!_

 _Meow_


	2. Unicorn Hair!

_Welcome back to Fail, and Die! I hope you liked the last chapter, because this one is going to be the first task! I'm thinking this could be 4-5 chaps long, one for each task and a possible wrap up chapter. This is the first task. But first, reviews!_

 _Aliqueen: You'll find out! Glad you like it :)_

 _Glittercat33 (me): Why did I leave myself a review? It was 3 in the morning, and I was bored. Plus I had no reviews so I reviewed it for myself to read later. Please leave a review!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls._**

* * *

Dipper's P.O.V.

It is early morning, and my sister and I are in the hospital. She is fine, though, she's only here to see me. I was poisoned by some weird creature I can't remember the name of. Anyway, I'm still poisoned, given 3 weeks to live, and a list of tasks to complete for the possibility of reviving my life. Great. Just what everybody wants. A clock ticking down to the last seconds of your lifeline. Unless I can complete the tasks with my sister. I have to try.

~A few hours later~

It's time. Time to leave this stuffy room and go out into the wild and risk my sister's life. I really don't know which is worse, to be honest. Living in a horrible smelling room for the last few weeks of my life, or betting Mabel's life on us actually completing these tasks. But this wasn't my decision to make, so we're off on our adventure.

We check out of the hospital, but I have to take along medication to keep me out of too much pain. The bottle is stuffed into my backpack, and we begin our journey to complete the first task: gather unicorn hair. Seems easy enough.

"Dipper, follow me. I know where to find the unicorns. I've met them before. Stubborn bunch." She mutters.

"Mabel, I don't know about this... are we lost?" I wonder.

She sighs, but continues to make her way down the trail. I follow her, even though I'm pretty sure we're lost. That is, until we enter a large clearing with a huge... habitat? It's pink and sparkly, and smells like roses. Mabel charges forward, ready for her second encounter with the mythical beasts. As she enters, her sandals are thrown to the ground, and she keeps running barefoot.

"Neigh!" A girlish voice whinnies. "Who is there?"

I peek in, and standing there before me is a real unicorn, with a glowing horn and a beautiful mane. Mabel seems to recognize it, and gets in a battle stance. The unicorn scowls, and does the same.

When we had to Bill-proof the Mystery Shack, Mabel went to fetch some unicorn hair. The myth said that you had to be 'pure of heart' to get the hair, so Mabel did many good deeds for the town. But she figured out that it was a scam, that the unicorns only made it up to keep their mames to themselves. After an intense battle, Mabel came home with a handful of unicorn hair, and was covered in rainbow liquid, which she described as unicorn tears and blood.

I get closer to the beast, sneaking past it. The unicorn hair is so close, if only I had some scissors, I could cut it. I just I could try and pull it out. Mabel spots me and frantically shakes her head, but that signals the unicorn that I'm behind her! She rears up her hooves, and I dash out of the way, landing hard on the ground. Her hooves strike where I had been standing mere seconds before. Mabel takes this as an opportunity to cut off the hair, she has the scissors. Two snips are heard, and the hair sinks to the ground. The angry unicorn gallops away, trying not to lose anymore of her precious hair.

"Mabel, are you ok?" I ask.

"I'm fine. How about you?" She questions.

"Umm... well, I may or may not have gotten a few bruises from falling..." I trail off.

"Dipper! This can't be good, you're bruising too easily." She worries. "Take some of the medicine! Maybe that will help."

"Mabel, relax, it's just a few bruises-"

"Yeah, well, it could get worse! Dipper, take the meds!" She screams, but immediately looks guilty.

I take out the medication, and swallow the pill. I feel the effects of the antibodies soon after taking them, and I sigh.

"Dipper, I'm sorry. I just don't want to lose you." She chokes on her words, and I see some tears roll down her cheeks.

"It's ok, I'll make it through. I'm not going down without a fight." I smile. "Plus, we completed one task. Only two more to go."

Mabel looks up, and smiles. She gives me a hug, and I return it gratefully. Ever since the diagnosis, I have been feeling a bit depressed. This hug feels so good, I don't want to let go. But I have to eventually. If I live through this, then I want to spend more time with Mabel. This whole experience has given me a new perspective on life, how you should live life to the fullest. So that's what I'm going to do for the 3 weeks I have left to live. Enjoy them.

* * *

 _Ok! Not bad, right? I hope y'all liked this chapter, and the future ones too! Please R &R! Thanks everyone!_

 _Meow_


	3. Hissing Beauties

_Hello and welcome back to Fail, and Die! Today in the story, Dipper and Mabel have to tackle the 2nd task, gathering the flowers. Oh, and did I mention that these flowers are poisonous?! What will happen? Will someone die? Read to find out!_

 _I thank everyone who have read this story, thanks everyone!_

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls. Alex Hirsch does, talk to him._**

* * *

Mabel's P.O.V.

I open my eyes, and see the blue sky looking down at me. My brother is lying next to me, still fast asleep. He only has 16 days left to live, before the poison in his system kills him. He twitches in his sleep, and frowns. His eyebrows knit together and his face scrunches up.

"Dipper, wake up." I say softly, gently shaking him.

"Ugghh." Dipper moans. "Why?"

"Because we have to keep moving! We're almost at the caves, I can see the waterfall from here." I encourage. "And its been 5 days already, and we still have 2 more tasks to complete."

"My head hurts!" He complains.

"Then take more meds." I say.

I can hear him mumble something about me being stubborn, even though he's the one who won't cooperate. But at least he took some pills to help him. That's a start. The waterfall is close, but we still have a ways to go. Then it's flower-picking time.

I turn around to take a look at my brother, but he's not there! His footprints in the mud stop abruptly where he took the pills, like he just... disappeared.

"DIPPER!" I scream. "WHERE ARE YOU?"

I pace nervously until I hear a faint moan. "Dipper? Is that you?" I question.

The moaning continues, but it's getting louder as I walk toward it. It's coming from the river, I think.

"Mabel?" Dipper groans.

"Dipper!" I spot him, lying at the base of the hill. He's covered from head to toe in mud, probably from falling. The river roars alongside him, showing the way to the waterfall.

"What happened?!" I exclaim.

"Well, I had swallowed the pills, when a huge bird came swooping down low to eat me, so I ducked, but it's beak caught on my vest and pushed me down the hill into the river. Then I pulled myself out, but the bird came back and attacked me again!" He grinned. "But then it dissolved in the water."

I look at him skeptically. "Dip, I think those pills are making you see hallucinations."

"What!? No way. That was real!" Dipper sputtered. "This _is_ Gravity Falls after all."

I sigh, knowing this was pointless to argue about.

"Whatever. Let's go." I beckon to him to follow me, but when he tried to stand, the mud stuck him back down.

"A little help?"

I get little handfuls of river water and begin to wash away the mud. By the time I finish, the sun had nearly gone behind the hill. I groan loudly, and Dipper looks away. I know it's not his fault. He didn't know what would happen. I just wish I could've been with him that morning so he wouldn't go anywhere.

"Mabel?" He whispers.

"What?" I growl.

Dipper frowns and backs away slightly, and I sigh. "Sorry."

"I just wanted to know, what if... if I... don't... you know... return?" He asks timidly.

"Bro bro, I won't let that happen. We'll be able to do this, you'll see." I assure him.

He smiles, and rests his head on my lap. I can't believe my own comforting words. I can't imagine living without my twin. His hat falls off, so I stroke his hair until he is sleeping. I brush his hair aside, and peer at the birthmark on his forehead that gave him his nickname. The Little Dipper. Perfectly engraved on his head, hidden by his hair. I keep stroking his hair, and doze off myself.

I open my eyes again, only to see the moon staring down at us. Dipper is still sleeping in my lap, and now he's snoring softly. I match my breathing with his, and fall back into darkness.

This time, it's morning. Dipper is already up, clearly feeling much better than yesterday. He has a small meal for us to share, from supplies he collected. There's some fruit from the bushes, and some nuts from the trees. I eat with him, and then we pack up and continue our journey. The caves are very close now. The waterfall is just around the bend, and the caves are behind it.

It takes us awhile to walk all the way to the waterfalls, but it was worth it. The cave is huge, and the flowers are toward the back of it. We slowly tiptoe though the grove of flowers, careful not to disturb them. Dipper leans over, and touches the stem of one, ready to pick it, but the flower is fast. I immediately hear a hiss.

"Dipper, watch out!" I caution.

He jumps back just as the Hissing Beauty strikes, and lands on three more, which hiss and strike again. He avoids them, while disturbing even more flowers, until everyone of them is hissing and attacking him. None of them hit him, luckily. But now all of the evil plants were awake and ready to kill. Dipper jumped across the cave, landing hard on his arm. It quickly bruised up, and soon enough, Dipper's whole arm was a deep purple color. I stood out of the flowers' reach, and Dipper was coming toward me to escape them, when he trips! He lands on the ground, and I hear several hisses. He rolls out of the way, but not before one of the flowers bit his leg.

"Dipper!" I cry.

I run in and grab his hand. I pull him out of the cave, and kneel down next to him on the ground.

"Dipping Sauce?" I ask softly. "Come in, Dipping Sauce."

"Mabel, I-"

"Shh, don't stress your body out more. I'll miss you, brother." I sob.

"No Mabel, you don't understand-"

"Dip, I love you. I can't imagine living without you by my side. Stay with me." I whisper as more and more tears streak my face.

"I'm fine, really." He says.

"No, you're not."

"Yeah, I am. It missed." He smiles.

"No, it got you straight in the leg. I saw it with my own two eyes." I cry.

"Nope! It did bite my meds, though." He held up the bottle that slowly turned black, then disintegrated in his hand. "It saved my life."

"You scared me!" I yell, and slap his face. "Don't do that again!"

"First of all, OW. Second of all, I also got the Hissing Beauty." Dipper holds up the head of the dead flower, and I gasp. We did it!

* * *

 _Ok, be honest, I scared you there, didn't I! Dipper and Mabel are still alive :) Only 1 more task! Have a great summer everyone :)_

 _Meow_


	4. Unspeakable Horror

_Hi! I'm glad to be back! Get ready for a great new challenge for Dipper and Mabel! Today we are focusing on the third and final task: 3 tablespoons of magic water! Will they succeed? Read to find out! Reviews:_

 _Aliqueen: Hahaha yeah, no kidding! I scared myself a little when I wrote that!_

 _ImpossibleJedi4: Aw, thanks! I'm glad you liked that, Mabel just seems like that person who would take charge and be serious (but only if absolutely necessary!) in a situation like this._

 ** _Disclaimer: I don't own Gravity Falls._**

 ** _Shadow belongs to Danny Phantom, and is not my OC._**

* * *

Dipper's P.O.V.

I'm glad that's over with. Those pills actually helped us for once. For the first time on this life-or-death mission, I actually have a spark of hope. Out of the 21 days I was given to live, 14 still remain. That gives us 2 whole weeks to complete the final task and get back to the hospital. We can do this!

* * *

Mabel's P.O.V.

Dipper is a lot happier than usual. Maybe the whole 'almost dying' thing really gave him a new perspective on life. Or maybe the pills gave him the case of the grumpy grumps. Either way, with a cheery partner, this was going to be a whole lot easier.

"Hey, isn't the water in a forest?" I ask.

"I think so. Why?" Dipper wondered.

"Because we're in one!" I say.

"Ohhh. I don't know why I didn't notice-"

*Thump*

"DIPPER!" I scream.

My brother lay face down in the long grass, twitching uncontrollably. His pills! Dipper needs them to help stabilize him. But they're gone... uh oh. We might not have as much time as I thought. But as quickly as it started, it was over.

"Uhhhh... what just happened?" Dipper questioned, sitting up. "Where am I?"

"Dipper!" I rush toward him and give him a bear hug. "Don't scare me like that!" I scold.

"But what? How-"

"Doesn't matter. We just need to find a well and get outa here!" I smile.

"Agreed. But where exactly is here?" He asked.

"I said it before. Doesn't matter." I sigh. "Lets just get movin'."

He nods, and I start off, Dipper close behind. We keep a quick pace, but unfortunately it gets dark and we have to set up camp for the night.

"I'll take first watch." I frown. "Stay close to me."

He falls asleep, and I sit up, awake. Thinking. Where could it be? The well couldn't be far, could it? Maybe we passed it. It's a pretty big forest after all. I glance at Dipper, wondering how much time he actually has left. Clearly he won't last 2 more weeks, not in this state. Maybe 1 week? Maybe less? I sit, lost in my thoughts, until Dipper taps my shoulder, signifying that my shift is over. I immediately tip over, and fall asleep.

I am awoken by a frantic Dipper shaking me violently, the fear clearly shining in his eyes. I yawn and squint at him, wondering what was wrong. Then I saw it. Or should I say him. There he was, the 'unspeakable horror' the nurse warned us about. An old enemy. Bill Cipher himself.

"Bill?! Are you our final challenge?!" Dipper shouted, trying to get the evil triangle's attention.

"Pine Tree! It's about time, I've been waiting for you. I see you dragged Shooting Star into it too?" He drones.

"What do you want, Bill?!" Dipper yelled angrily.

"Oh, nothing much... I just came to watch you suffer." He smirks.

"What? But aren't you supposed to be protecting the well? Our quest?"

"Oh I know all about your little 'quest'. I was the one that sent that butterfly to poision you, to get rid of you once and for all. I knew that if you were gone, it would destroy everyone around you. You are a ticking time bomb... but you will kill anyone within 100 feet of you if you fail. So many will die." He explained. "But about your quest, I'm not the horror. You haven't gone far enough yet."

"So you just came to watch?" I ask.

"Yeah Shooting Star. That's why I'm here. To watch the flesh bomb blow."

I glance at Dipper, who looks a little uneasy. I don't blame him, though. To hear news like that... I'm surprised he didn't have a bigger reaction. I grab his arm and start walking.

"Alright, Bill. You listen to me, you are going to tell me where to go to find the well, and then you are going to LEAVE US ALONE. Is this clear?" I demand.

"Hahaha, you think you have a chance! How cute. I'll tell you what, I'll help you. It'll still be fun to watch you die in the hands of Shadow." He chuckles. "Go straight ahead for a few minutes, turn left, then left again, until you find the well. It'll be near a big tree, the biggest in the whole forest."

I turn on my heel and Dipper follows. We follow the directions Bill gave us, until we reach the big tree. The well is exactly where Bill said it would be, and nothing is there to stop us. We carefully measure out the 3 tablespoons and pour it into a small Tupperware dish, and cover the top. We start walking home when an icy feeling overcomes the air. The sky goes dark and the clouds turn black. A dark figure appears out of nowhere, then disappears completely. I turn to look at Dipper, but he's not there!

"Mabel! Help!" A strangled voice cries for help. I'd know that voice anywhere. It's Dipper!

"Dipper?" I call. I can't see him.

"Over here!" He calls back. His voice is coming from the tree. But I still don't see him.

I dash to the tree, and look all around it.

"I'm in the tree!" His muffled voice shouts.

"How'd you get in there?" I ask.

"I don't know. One minute, I was standing behind you. The next, I was in a tree!"

"Ok, relax, I'm going to get you out of there. Just stay put." I try to calm him down.

"Where can I go?" He asks sarcastically.

"Just shut up." I growl.

I pry open the tree, which turns out not to be a tree at all, but a containment center. Almost like a storage box.

"Thanks." He whispers.

"Thank me later. We've got to get outta here before that 'thing' comes back!"

"Shadow." Dipper murmurs.

"What?"

"Shadow. That's what Bill said it was called." He says. "Whatever it is, it's powerful. But I couldn't feel it's touch when it put me in the tree jail. Maybe it's a spirit?"

Just as Dipper finishes his sentence, 'Shadow' peeks out of the bushes and flies toward us, and he's fast. It swirls around us like a tornado, and everything goes black. It's pitch black for miles, and nothing can be seen. So we both pull out our flashlights, and turn them on. There's a loud hissing noise, and where the light is shining turns to light. Pure, white light, and it dissolves the 'Shadow' until just it's original form is left. Then, even that disappears. Leaving the two of us standing in a circle of brightness. Eventually, the light fades away, but we are taken with it!

We struggle to escape, but the light is strong. We are stuck in the light for a few minutes, and Dipper slowly starts to fade away. I grab onto him and hold tight, and the light fizzles out in a shower of sparks. And where are we standing? The hospital room, with all the ingredients and Dipper. He collapses into my arms, a dark purple color rapidly climbing up his body, until his skin is completely purple.

I scream, and a passing nurse gasps. She was the nurse from before, and gives me a frantic look. I hand her the ingredients, and she mixes them together, and injects it into Dipper. His body shudders, then he gasps for breath and his eyes open wide. I pick him up and lay him on the hospital bed, and he slowly regains his strength, until he is strong enough to sit up. By this time, Grunkle Stan is here, along with Ford and Soos. Apparently the time we were stuck in the light was more than I had originally thought. We were in there for a couple of days.

All of us look at Dipper worriedly. None of us knew for sure if the formula worked, so we were tense. Then, suddenly, he jerks up into a sitting position, and coughs. He glances at Ford, Soos, and Stan, but when he saw me, Dipper sighed contentedly. All was good, at least for now, and that was ok by me.

* * *

 _Why did I end it like that? Because I might make a sequel! If you think that's a good idea, then comment below. Plz R &R, have a great day, and vote on my poll if you have time. Thanks!_

 _Meow_


End file.
